Manvendra Singh Gohil (born September 23, 1965) is an Indian prince, being the son and probable heir of the honorary Maharaja of Rajpipla.

[citation needed] In 1971, the government of India "de-recognized" the Indian princes, and Manvendra's father lost the official title of Maharaja and the privy purse (an annual pension) that came with it.

[8] Upon being informed by psychiatrists that their son was gay, Manvendra's parents accepted the truth, but stipulated that this matter should not be revealed to anyone else.

Soon the news appeared in other English and vernacular newspapers across the country, and became a story that they followed up in their gossip and society pages for several weeks afterward.

[citation needed] The people of Rajpipla were shocked: Manvendra was burnt in effigy and publicly jeered and heckled.

[17] In July 2013, Manvendra married an American man named Cecil "DeAndre" Richardson (né Hilton), a Macy's cosmetics employee for Origins, hailing from Albany, Oregon, and living in Seattle.

[20] [21] In 2000, he started the Lakshya Trust, of which he is chairman, a group dedicated to HIV/AIDS education and prevention, LGBTQ+ issues and running of India's first gay ashram.

The trust also trains female field workers who educate women married to MSM about safe sex practices.

"[23] In January 2008, while performing an annual ceremony in Rajpipla in honour of his great-grandfather Maharaja Vijaysinhji, Manvendra Gohil announced plans to adopt a child, saying: "I have carried out all my responsibilities as the prince so far and will continue as long as I can.

In 2018, Manvendra opened up his 15-acre palace grounds to help house vulnerable LGBT people who might otherwise be "left with nothing" when "their families disown them after coming out".

[12][13] In 2017, he was a special guest in an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians titled "India’s first openly gay prince, Manvendra Singh Gohil".